Extension-tray.



No. 729,078. rnnmmmfijfjeyaaus.

w. MAXWELL.

EXTENSION TRAY.

ur'mommn FILED JULY 26. 1902.

U ITED STAT S Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EXTENSION-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,078, dated May 26, 1903.

' Application filed July 26, 1902. flerial No. 117,146- (No model.)

To all whmn itntayconocrn:

Be it known that I, WILLIA MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements.

ber of dishes or glasses upon a comparatively small tray, which often results in the break age of the china and glass and a waste of vict-uals and beverages. Furthermore, waiters lose considerable time in procuring trays of various sizes to accommodate the articles to be served or returned.

It is the principal object of the present invention to efiectually overcome all the abovestated difficulties and to provide atray that maybe extended to a posit-ion to double its ordinary carrying capacity.

The invention further aims to provide a device of this character which will be extremely simple in construction, strong, durable, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and highly efficient in its use.

The invention consists in providing a tray with two or more sections, said sections being slidably attached to one another, the bottoms and side flanges of the tray being connected together in a manner that will practically form an air-tight connection, thereby retaining the moisture and drippings upon the tray and prevent the same from soiling the .table-cloth or coming in contact with the furniture upon which the tray may rest.

A still further object of the invention is to provide two or more sections of the tray with bearing-surfaces that will be upon a common horizontal plane with one another, thereby preventing the tray from tilting, which would otherwise occur.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and

. wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 isa top plan view of my, improved tray. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings the reference-numerals 1 and 2 represent the slidable sections of the tray, these sections being provided with side flanges 3 and 4, the flanges being curved and turned over and the flanges 3 being adapted to telescope in the flanges 4. The section 2 is also provided with downwardly-extending flanges 5, extending below the bottom. These flanges form a bearing-surface for the section of the tray 2 when it is in an extended position, said bearing-surface being upon a common plane with the bottom of the traysection 1. A downwardly-extending flange 6 is also formed integral with the tray-section 2, and a corresponding flange 7 is formed integral with the tray-section 1, the latter, however, extending upwardly and rests against the under face of the bottom of the tray-section 2. Between these flanges 6 and 'Z is interposed a strip of rubber or other suitable material 8, which forms both a buffer-stop when the tray-sections are extended to their maximum degree and a perfectly air-tight connection, which will effectually retain the moisture and drippings upon the tray.

Ordinarily the tray is used in its contracted form; but when it is found necessary to increase the carrying capacity of the tray the sections are accordingly adjusted to the extended position.

The many other advantages obtained by the use of myimproved device will be readily apparent from the foregoing description,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an extension-tray, the combination of two telescoping sections, one-of the said sections being provided on its end with a downwardly-extending flange, the other of said sections being provided with an upwardly-extending flange, said upwardlyextending flange engaging the bottom of the first-named section, substantially as described.

2. In a tray, the combination of two telescoping sections, one of the said sections being provided with a downwardly-extending flange, the lower edge of the said flange being upon a common plane with the bottom of the other of the said sections, substantially as described.

3. In adevice of the character described, two tray-sections, one of the said sections being provided with downwardlyextending side and end flanges, the other of the said sections being provided with an upwardly-extending flange, and a strip of rubber interposed between said downwardlyextending end flange and said upwardly extending flange, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM MAXWELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. E. POTTER. 

